If you’e been following this blog, odds are you’re familiar with the Cartiva implant for treating big toe arthritis. Dr. Silverman was the first to offer the surgery in the area, and he’s considered one of the foremost experts on the implant.
One of the biggest reasons why Dr. Silverman is a fan of the implant is because it helps to preserve joint motion and it mimics the movements of a healthy toe. However, one of the critiques any time hardware is inserted is the durability and long-term health of the implant, because nobody wants to undergo another replacement operation in the future because the device wore down. According to a new Cartiva study, that’s rarely an issue for patients seeking the big toe joint implant.
Long Term Cartiva Implant
Cartiva, Inc., announced findings from it’s latest long-term study at the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society annual meeting. For that study, researchers conducted a five-year follow up on patients who had received the implant to evaluate its safety and effectiveness. The study reviewed 197 patients who received the implant at 12 different surgical centers.
According to the data, researchers uncovered that Cartiva provides:
- Substantial pain relief, with patients receiving a 97 percent median reduction in pain.
- Functional improvement, with patients demonstrating a 176 percent median improvement in sporting activities.
- Motion preservation, as patients experienced a 25 percent improvement in range of motion compared to pre-surgical range of motion.
- Very high satisfaction rates, with 93 percent of patients saying they would have the procedure again.
“Cartiva SCI has now been proven to be a viable alternative to fusion for patients wanting to maintain range of motion,” said Mark Glazebrook, MD, FRCSC, MSc, PhD, Professor of Orthopaedics Surgery at Queen Elizabeth Sciences Centre in Canada, who worked on the study. “With almost six years of follow up from a rigorously conducted clinical trial, the data supports Cartiva being a game-changer in the treatment of this condition.”
The Cartiva implant gained FDA approval a little over two years ago, but it’s producing fantastic results both in the short term and in the long term. Previously, a fusion operation had been the standard of care, but more and more doctors are turning towards the synthetic implant. To learn more about the Cartiva implant, check out some of our previous posts, and if you’re dealing with big toe arthritis and want to talk with Dr. Silverman about your options, reach out to his clinic today.
